Norway’s King Harald dies at 89; Crown Prince Haakon succeeds him
What’s next: Haakon becomes Norway’s head of state as the country begins a royal transition and national mourning.
Norway’s King Harald V died Friday at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet at age 89, ending a reign of more than three decades. The Royal House of Norway said he died peacefully at 6:35 a.m. local time on Aug. 28. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, 53, now succeeds him as monarch. Harald was widely seen as a reform-minded king who served as a unifying national figure after long standing in the shadow of his father, King Olav V. Tributes poured in from across Europe, including Britain’s King Charles, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.